5-year-old’s remains found in Alabama after her mother reported her missing in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The woman charged in connection with the disappearance of her 5-year-old daughter whose body was found a week later in rural Alabama was in court Tuesday. Her lawyers asked for more time to review the evidence against her.

Brianna Williams, who reported Taylor missing from their new Brentwood home in November, is charged with two counts of child neglect and one count of lying to police. Investigators now suspect Taylor was dead before Williams moved there from an apartment on the Southside bus she has not been charged with causing her daughter’s death.

Following the discovery of the remains, Williams was hospitalized after what was described as a suicide attempt by overdose at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, where she worked. She was arrested when she recovered and remains in the Duval County jail on $1.1 million bond.

Williams, 27, attended Tuesday’s pre-trial hearing handcuffed and shackled, wearing a red jumpsuit. Her attorney asked Circuit Judge Kevin Blazs for more time to review the evidence the state has gathered in the case.

According to an nine-page summary of discovery in the case obtained by News4Jax last week, evidence that could appear in trial includes the 911 call where Williams claimed her daughter was kidnapped, Taylor’s autopsy report, thousands of photos, surveillance video, police body camera videos, her Amazon order history and information uncovered during search warrants at Williams’s apartment, her home in Brentwood and of her car, cellphones and computers.

Phone records are key. Prosecutors sent subpoenas to cellphone companies associated with Williams’ accounts, as well as Google, Apple iCloud and Match.com. Each could potentially piece together where Williams was, what she searched for and who she talked to.

Prosecutors also have Uber and Lyft records, documenting Williams’ activity with the ride-sharing services. Additionally, they pulled her Navy records, including when she accessed the base, and surveillance from stores in Jacksonville, Georgia and Alabama.

Prosecutors told Blazs the state is still working to gather more information in the case against Williams.

Evidence that could appear in trial includes the 911 call where Williams claimed her daughter was kidnapped, Taylor’s autopsy report, thousands of photos, surveillance video, police body camera videos, her amazon order history, and information uncovered during search warrants at Williams’s apartment, her home in Brentwood and of her car, cellphones and computers.